WSO Year in 2011

Although a somewhat disappointing year for the at-home investor, the S&P 500 finished about exactly flat in 2011. That’s right, in a year filled with brazen ups and frightening downs; equity markets appear to have neither tremendous gains nor gut wrenching losses.

Though, as a whole, can we be disappointed at 2011?

Throughout 2011, the majority of our most explicit headlines came from abroad. In March, Japan was hit with a devastating earthquake and tsunami. Then, almost unexpectedly, the Jasmine Revolution, with the help of Facebook and Twitter, took flight. After watching one of the most pivotal, historical moments in Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen, we heard news that Osama Bin Laden was killed, and then later, Moammar Gadhafi. In the midst of all this chaos, the debt problem of the PIIGS spread around the European continent, and almost brought the Euro to the brink of utter despair. With North Korea’s Kim Jung Il passing away, Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad stepping down, and Italy’s Berlusconi giving up, the world still has a handful of leaders yet to completely settle in.

At home, nothing will be more engrained in my mind than the pictures of the hoards of protestors from Occupy Wall Street. From Zuccoti Park to tiny cities across America, Main Street presented an avid, public display of disgust for Wall Street. Ironically, in a record year for cuts on Wall Street, the largest financial institutions are deleveraging their personnel and shrinking in size. Just three days away from the first presidential primary, non-financial services job growth is also seemingly flat.

So what does all this mean for Monkeys?

Truth be told, we should all be happy. Happy that we are on Wall Street Oasis and not some other shumck website. In fact, I truly prescribe to the belief that this website makes you better off than any other prospecting candidate in the field. Yes, the financial services job market is terrible. Yes, recruiting has been worse than ever. But at least we’re still here. Keep grinding away, because most of what happens in this world, no matter the year, is out of our immediate control.

Thank you, WSO, for the motivation to keep fighting, and Happy New Year to all!